Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Sunday, November 16, 2008

I am in shock that anyone even read my blog on my experience with Taco Bueno...let alone that two individuals who work for Taco Bueno read it and responded. One responded to the blog here, the other emailed me personally. He was the Vice President of Operations for Taco Bueno. He was so nice and concerned with what had happened and wanting to make it right, that I started to feel bad about the blog. It seems that I had better be careful what I blog about on here! lol

Seriously...just in case you don't know it or in case anyone is wondering...I still love Taco Bueno. I just happened to visit at a bad time. We all have them! I still go there. I've been twice since the incident! I plan on going there for lunch tomorrow. Matter of fact, why don't you all join me for lunch there tomorrow? It's a date...noon tomorrow @ the Taco Bueno of your choice. Looking forward to lunch.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Today, we decided that we would be tourists and take in the city of Dallas. It seems to me that many people live in wonderful and beautiful cities and never see or know half of what is there. So, we decided to take in as much as possible today. It's amazing all the things we found and places we had never been. What a wonderful day it was...so great that we plan on doing it again soon since we didn't see half of Dallas today! Here's a few pictures of our day...

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Okay...I'm not going to say a whole lot here because I am still trying to calm down from my trip to Taco Bueno with my mother about an hour ago. It seems the more I think or talk about what happened the more upset I get. I do have one question though, WHY is it that when you order something at Taco Bueno it looks NOTHING like the picture they have on their menu screen???

I ordered a nacho salad, and I just knew I had seen meat on it in the picture above the cash register. Well, the one I got was pretty bare, and had only 15 chips...(YES, I counted them!!!) I mentioned this to the worker and she actually looked at the picture and smiled back at me and said nothing!

After I had eaten my meal, I ordered one of those little cheesecake chimicanga thingy's and it shows in the picture that it has powdered sugar on it. That's a lie too! It does not have powdered sugar on it. When I asked the lady if it was supposed to have powdered sugar on it, she looked at me like I had just stepped off the short bus. I just pointed to the picture and calmy asked them if they needed a new photographer. I left my name and told her I was available at any time. It's the least I can do for the public.

I absolutely loved this when I read it in an email and figured it was something that needed to be shared! Now, if I could only learn to live by this...

'Everyone Can't Sit On Your Front Row' Author Unknown

Everyone can't sit on your front row. Life is a theatre, so invite your audience carefully. Not everyone is spiritually or emotionally healthy enough to have a front row seat in our lives. There are some people in your life what are best loved from a distance. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you let go, OR at least, minimize your time with draining, negative, incompatible, pointness relationships, friendships. and fellowships.

Consider your current relationships:Pay attention to who lifts and who leans.Who encourages and who discourages?Who is on the path of growth and who is going down fast?When you leave certain people, do you feel better or feel worse?Who always has drama?

There more you seek God and Godly things, the more you seek quality. The more you seek not just the hand of God but the face of God, the more you seek things honorable. The more you seek growth, peace of mind, love and truth around you, the easier it will become for you to decide who gets to sit in the FRONT ROW and who should be moved to the BALCONY of your life.

You cannot change the people around you, BUT you can change the people YOU are around!Ask God for wisdom and discernment and use these gifts to choose the people who sit in the front row of your life.Let your haters be your motivators BUT let them do it from afar.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

I was laying on the couch this afternoon trying to get a nap, when I was awakened suddenly with the news that Landon had been involved in a really bad skateboard accident! Landon tells me that he was just riding his skateboard in the back alley and a man in a big truck just hit him and didn't even stop...he had to come inside and put all these band-aids on it to make him feel better. This child has a HUGE imagination!!! I asked him why there was no blood if he had been hit by a big truck...his reply??? "MOM, I have on band-aids. The hold all the blood!"

Jeez...sometimes I can be so dumb! Seriously, I love this little boy and his vivid imagination!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Today is Veterans Day...now I didn't realize this until a funny thing happened to me today. I was on the phone with my friend, (Jenna) when I pulled up to the bank to cash a check. I put my hands on the door and just happened to look down and in the lobby of Chase bank there was a set of keys and some bank bags laying on the floor. I panicked!! I just knew that I was had almost walked in on a real life bank robbery in process! Seriously, I said to Jenna, "hold on...I'm outta here."

When I got in my car and pulled out of the parking lot, (very hurriedly!) I told Jenna what I had seen. She told me to let her go and to call the cops...I'm guessing that she had no clue it was Veterans Day either! :) So, I called 911 and done my duty trying to protect my fellow human who just might be in trouble at the bank I had just left.

The operator took my call and said, "Ma'am we have had several calls today on this, an officer has been by and checked things out and since the banks and post offices are closed for the holiday today we are assuming that everyone is okay at the bank and the bank bags and keys you see inside the foyer area are for the crew coming in the morning.

Boy...did I feel dumb. And that is how I knew today was Veterans Day! Glad I decided to go to the bank or I might have forgotten to take flowers and a flag to my grandfather's grave at the DFW National Cemetery this afternoon.

On a more serious note, THANK YOU to all of our veterans who have served or who are currently serving this beautiful country and who have fought for the freedom that I enjoy every day. You are all my heroes!

So, this is what I've been making for the last week! Seriously, they are so delicious. Pumpkin Rolls. My sister and I made eight of them last week and on Monday we made ten more. We just got a call tonight for several more orders that we are going to make tomorrow. Seems Thanksgiving is in the air...

Mix these ingredients together and pour into foil lined cookie sheet and bake (375) for 15 minutes. Take out of oven and sit on stove top for 5 minutes to cool. Turn the roll out onto another piece of foil and roll up and put in freezer for 15 minutes.

When you take roll out of freezer unroll and spread filling mixture onto the pumpkin roll and then roll back up. I roll my pumpkin rolls onto another clean piece of foil so it is neat. These are good in the refrigerator for several days or you can freeze them until the day you want to eat them. Problem is they don't last long once people start eating on it...

Today is my dad's birthday, and we spent the morning with him eating breakfast at Golden Corral. My mom, dad, my sister and brother-n-law and niece and nephew, myself and my son all ate to our hearts content. Matter of fact, we ate way too much. That's easy to do at a buffet! We had the best time ever, just sitting and laughing and talking. Family is such a nice thing to have. It's even better when you all get along.

I watched my dad as we ate and realized many things about him that I had forgotten that I loved so much. He's not your typical man. No, he's much better than that. He truly doesn't care what others think about him. He is who he is. He's comfortable with who he is and what he has in life. He's not a fancy dresser...although he is always neat and clean. He could care less about high priced clothes or name brands. If it's nice and clean and it fits, he wears it. He lives in a modest house and all his children and their families are welcome there. If it's his and his kids need it, he freely hands it over. He's not interested in a fancy sports car...he is happy with a van and truck. He loves the fact that all his grandkids fit into that minivan! He has always loved what others call the 'simple' things in life. But, my dad has taught me that the simple things in life are what become the important things in life! I love you dad...you are the greates man ever! Happy Birthday!

Yesterday, at Wal-Mart, it made me feel really honored and esteemed when the doors automatically opened for me...I got that warm and fuzzy special feeling all inside. I walked in standing proud and smiled and waved to everyone. I figured it was about time someone realized my worth...but then my mom told me that Wal-Mart doors do that for everyone???

Thursday, November 6, 2008

So, tomorrow is the day. My in-laws will be here around noon. I've worked all day long and most of the night to get the house cleaned and in order. It's not perfect, but it's much cleaner than it was a few hours ago...

***Public Service Announcement***Before you read this, you must know that this is just my personal conviction and view on the election. There were no intentions to offend or upset anyone. This is just my thoughts. LOL

It is easy to get caught up in all the drama and all the worry and such that this moment in our nation's history has caused for us as christians. I will be the first to admit to anyone that it grieved me and saddened me when it became clear Tuesday night that McCain was not going to take the vote. It saddened me and concerned me because I have a precious son, Landon, who will be affected by all that happens in this last day and time. It saddened me, as his mother, to see that this nation was turning against some of the very principal that founded us in the first place.

However, I also know that much more can be accomplished by us praying for our President-elect Barack Obama, his wife Michelle, and his daughters, Sasha and Malia, than will ever be accomplished by us grumbling and complaining. Having said that, I know some will criticize and say that I have made jokes and comments about the election...and I have. I have found humor in many of the emails, jokes, and things being said at this time. There is no harm or sin in that. I simply choose to find something to make me laugh...it eases the pain of losing! lol The harm and even sin would be if I let it consume me and if I let myself become hateful or spiteful and portray a wrong attitude and spirit to others who think differently than I do about the outcome of the election. I must stop and pray for my leader. Whether he was my choice or not...he is my president and I am instructed by God in His word to pray for my leaders.

Matthew 12:25 says "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand."

A united house stands...a divided house falls. Satan has so much to gain if we allow ourselves to become part of something that divides us as a nation and as individuals. However, if we unite and stand together in prayer...satan has lots to loose. I believe that satan knows each of us well and he can use our attitudes in a time such as this to utterly destroy and bring havoc into our lives. What we need to do as a church and as christians in this last day and time is use these situations to show Christ in us...to show what His character is like. This is a time for us to all shine as true Christians and show the world what the love of Christ really does. Love unites...Hate divides. We cannot allow our focus to be taken off the main thing here...the main thing being that God is still in control and He is coming back soon. We must pray more than ever and keep our spirit and attitude right before God. We must come together and pray for this great nation we love and for all of our leaders.

I personally refuse to be a part of hatred, prejudice, and discord. I will teach my son the truth and speak clearly to him so he knows the difference between right and wrong. I will teach him that sometimes people in powerful positions may teach or say things that we do not believe in personally, but I cannot teach him that one of the attributes of a Christian is to love and expect him to learn to love if I show hatred and prejudice towards a man that I didn't vote for. I must teach him to pray for our president-elect and for all our leaders and if I expect him to 'catch-on' then I must live it myself. I must stand for what is right, but I must do it in the right attitude. I must stand for truth on my knees...not in my attitudes.

I've said all the above to say this...Obama was not my choice for president. I did not vote for him. HOWEVER, I will pray for him and ask for God's guidance to be with him. I will ask God to be merciful to this country that I love. I will pray for Obama to make good decisions for this country. I must remember that Obama might be headed to the White House...but Jesus has been and still is on the Throne. I'm glad that He is still in control of everything!

About Me

I am happily married to a wonderful man who still makes me smile after 21 years of marriage. We have one son, Landon, who is the love and the joy of our lives! Landon was born seventeen days before our 17th wedding anniversary. We lost three babies by miscarriages before we were blessed with a healthy little boy. This precious little boy is a gift from God, and has become Our World! Not a day goes by that I don't thank God for the gift of life, wrapped in such a beautiful package.